Nine Inch Nails - Alessandro Cortini Live Rig

[@dpm608]

When people ask why I like NIN, I say "the complexity and attention to detail". They usually look at me like I'm an idiot...but this video totally proves it. To have that setup on a live stage and have that level of freedom in the sound from night-to-night is just mind blowing. Props to everyone who makes it possible!

[@DJSlaughter]

+Dylan Manthei I agree!

[@dsandwhich00]

Dylan Manthei people asked you why you like NIN?

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

and Trent Reznor is a big modular synth guy as well who pioneered NIN years ago before bringing Cortini on board

[@CatFish107]

The inherent bounds on reproducibility of something like a Buchla must make each live performance sound slightly different. Much like how a guitar or drum might produce slightly different sounds, depending on the variability of the individual performer, and the myriad other variables that might change from performance to performance.

[@chrisbarriere101]

When you say attention to detail were you talking about the OP-1 or the tape decks?

[@mattgowing]

This was one of the best rig rundowns I have ever watched. Alessandro is extremely well spoken! Over my head, yet he explained it in a way that made it easy to understand.

[@amuletsmusic]

I started my whole musical project inspired by his use of a 4 track tape recorder at 3:45...

[@tronlady1]

It's like a reverse mellotron!!!!

[@orbixmusic]

That's awesome to hear, I love your stuff!

[@joebrown6112]

Where can i listen to your stuff?

[@joebrown6112]

Where can i hear your project amulets?

[@juno3242]

congrats on the flenser signing!! super stoked for the new record

[@jomartinkelly1]

That was great. I love when musicians are so frank about their gear and willing to share. Saw them in Barcelona, just three of them on stage, and I was desperate to know how they got such an intense sound.

[@TheKiwNo1]

A stage tech was throwing those cassette tapes to the audience after the last show of the tour in Prague. Too bad I wasn't close enough to catch one :-) And a great video of course, thank you!

[@justjustjustmcg]

I was aiming for your face! ;-)

[@TheKiwNo1]

My fault for being too far away. Thanks for being awesome anyway! Those that caught them must have been crazy happy :-)

[@Min0rfr3t]

Man I would love to get the mainstage files from that laptop :P

[@dmaifred]

Yup 7:15 made me drool.

[@tronlady1]

Well I'll eat my hat! His use of a 4 track casette recorder is like a mellotron is reverse!!!! Love it!!

[@michael_harren]

Mind blowing rig. Love the way he uses that four track!

[@2confrontational]

Indiana Drones! that's rather brilliant. killer setup, great piece too - bravo all!

[@MikeGomeztheDMG]

This was totally awesome. Big thanks to Alessandro for being so cool and patient; it’s a real treat to get a peek at a rig like this.

[@therealquade]

>NIN uses OP-1 [screams internally] >hasn't bothered backing up patches from OP-1 [screaming intensifies] >actually uses cassette tapes [calm]

[@midinerd]

For the OP-1, he was talking about automating the patch change recall (Prg Change) via USB during a live set, and that it didn't matter because the device was hands-on enough that he can do that live manually. [calmly uses words actually spoken in the video]

[@Pulse2AM]

A lot more organic than I would have thought, that's cool. I thought they just trigger samples of the source material.

[@auld_boy]

I love how they embrace and utilise many different mediums and incorporate them into one fluid rig!

[@matthew_thefallen]

"My bloody valentine-ish pitch" hahaha love it!

[@thomasstillman4805]

He Pre-records the sound samples on the entire length of the 4 track cassette tapes, and then labels them individually, instead of using a looper cassette tape. That's how I have always done it too👍

[@kingtrance6826]

How’s he manage to keep it all together in a live performance? Wow....

[@chrisbarriere101]

Drugs😂

[@1234BLISTEX]

Alessandro Cortini = Synth God

[@jerrysherron3553]

Good but a long way from synth god ...that would probably be Keith Emerson or Wendy Carlos....they actually had to invent the sounds not sample them from some other source ....big difference ....

[@williamhollaway1960]

You spelled Charlie Clouser wrong

[@Lofuckyou]

I just love this NIN lineup. Haven't seen them live in years, hope I can catch them this time around.

[@mCKENIC]

Wow! Great coup Sonic State! Fascinating to see Alessandro's rig and he is using bloomin TAPE! Wow! Thank you for this!

[@setphaser]

A-MAZ-ING! The only thing missing was bits of the live performance to put sound to practice. But seriously, I dig this! More of these please!!!

[@ohmrjames]

Great review! This guy is a legend :) Top Job Sonic State !

[@Rob12ser]

Dear santa.....

[@A_New_Yorker_Lost_In_Florida]

i just passed out from gleeeee. holy crap. i love the fact that its on mainstage .. i use that as an emulator mostly…. and gb at same time as 2 patch pads or modules or whatever . they are both controlled from my homemade key controller … i have the sanford and son synth

[@Psychlist1972]

Impressed that he performs with modular on stage. Risky, and hard to do any patch changes. Nice that he uses stored voltages and a roadie to handle tuning. Very cool.

[@tehxperience]

Imagine trying to mix this show in an arena lmao - big props

[@Abstraiit]

does he actually wear a Vatican Shadow tshirt ?

[@bryangrimes824]

Weren't a few of most recent releases on Hospital Productions? How awesome would a Fernow/Cortini split or collaboration be!

[@juno3242]

Bryan Grimes oh man, a frozen Niagara Falls style hybrid between Alessandro's synth magic and dom's noise crafting would be harrowing

[@bryangrimes824]

William Callender Agreed. They've already both featured on a release together. The ideal would be a collaboration. Even better, as Cortini can also clearly craft different moods; I'd love to see a series of releases- a Prurient collaboration, a Vatican Shadow collaboration and an RSE collaboration.

[@JoobSensei]

Fernows in the band Cold Cave who were supporting NIN as well

[@stephenmandelbaum2027]

for being in such a huge band, he seems so humble.

[@macronencer]

What an amazing rig! Damn, I need to see this band one day. Almost saw them once in London, but unfortunately the gig was cancelled at the last minute due to illness :(

[@darkalman]

Meanwhile Chris Vrenna was talking about how in the early days he'd play drums, do triggers, and set the drum machines live without a click Then would thread tape on a wheel-to-wheel machine between songs

[@mattordiway1955]

There's always more room to go down the rabbit hole.

[@ISPEAKMACHINE]

Love this! Especially the cassettes :)

[@Reprodestruxion]

Imagine how it sounds slowed down and backwards as well as warbled,luv

[@amphitheatre]

wanted to hear that big wood synth-thing in action :l

[@amphitheatre]

word. i'm trying to take my drones to a new level. thx.

[@bagnolessa]

Un orgoglio nazionale!

[@dailydoseofbeauty-coaching113]

I love Aalto, Indiana Drones ! The coolest man in town Thanks for this awesome presentation 👍❤✌😎💥

[@SteelAnnelida]

Very cool report, thanks a lot, sonicstate!

[@benthies9531]

I love that he knows the names of the people he gets his modules from. Great dude.

[@brunobvr1909]

So much interesting, gorgeous set of modular, giant...

[@NoyzyBoyZ3]

I'm just a dime a dozen guitar player but,I loved this! I think I'll switch to keys!!

[@jerrysherron3553]

Not really what is called a keyboard player ...check out Keith Emerson. Rick Wakeman

[@jackbroughan1682]

Loving the Vatican Shadow shirt.

[@MattGreerMusic]

I'll be back.. have to guy buy an Octatrack now.

[@andrewcoates4952]

As a simple Bass into pedals into amp guy, this blew my tiny mind. Dead interesting though

[@rustyvst]

Allessandro, Glad to see you doing well. Coffee next time you are in LA

[@decassemblymi]

Crazy that this is all just the synth player's job. There's still 4-5 other people who do just as much (depending on the tour)

[@SamAndrew27]

The use of the loops on the cassette tape is fucking BRILLIANT!!

[@TheCoronaMortis]

Damn that's confusing, the tape thing is brilliant, love how he mixes it all. Really impressed!

[@fernandomonreal4682]

he has a great ear he play almost all without the need of synchronization stuff

[@lagiator]

thanks sonicstate for uploading this!

[@PutItAway101]

Takes a certain amount of balls and dedication to take a modular on the road!

[@television321man]

Sweet Vatican Shadow shirt

[@MrMallum]

I went to one of those gigs at the O2. It was amazing!!!

[@WalterGalindo]

Man, that rig has a lot of work put into it, Awesome

[@MrNovember91]

Haha Indiana Drones. I would love a couple days to play some of Cortini's synths, especially if he was around to give some pointers

[@dcashley303]

Amazing video! Would love more of this kind of thing, really interesting. Would have liked to have heard each of the instruments but never mind.

[@our_unseen_guest]

most creative use of a 4 track ever!

[@Bewar3them00n]

I’ve just been given a Tascam 4 track, I’m going to experiment with running my prerecorded loops & drones through it, should be fun!

[@obsessive_discipline]

nice Vatican Shadow shirt

[@thomaskenneally219]

8:54 with the VATICAN SHADOW shirt fuck yeah.

[@Simonewhitesim-1music]

Ooh Did we all just feel out?? well i had a fun time nice guy super cool rig!

[@kikkirow]

Wow so much goes into making the live show

[@NayveeMan]

Wow. That was ridiculously good!

[@trevordepagie9665]

wicked interview!! tyty!! \m/

[@noelbreitenbach8673]

This is an awesome interview. I was worrying about his splooshing and splashing cup of coffee around those nice instruments tho

[@patstratpicker5889]

SugarPitch seems like a very nice guy. Cool, and quite intelligent about his gear. I guess he's pretty well Treznor's right hand guy now.

[@deathedit777]

Vatican Shadow shirt!!! Awesome!

[@user-xv4he4mt4x]

its terrifying to see him holding a nearly full coffee mug near his live set

[@Iterationanddiscord]

A great model of how to sound amazing!

[@GlitchComputer]

so so elaborate!! Love it!

[@tip36c]

Indiana Drones! Plus maxing out MainStage is classic.

[@lifeanddecay]

love the RO ramones ;)

[@richardelam3371]

you just gave me a renewed use for my Tascam 4 track.....thanks you

[@denverm4x]

very very cool. thanks for the peek, everyone! indiana drones haha

[@MC-kp2oi]

This is crazy how does anyone deal with all of this live?

[@MrTrollinglol]

They've been doing it for years and they've slowly built up to the point where they remember everything based purely on the sheer number of times they've done it

[@jerrysherron3553]

Presets pre programmed call up say #26 and there are sounds for a song

[@djvartan]

Great interview!

[@Psztyk236]

This is amazing.

[@BAMusicPlymouth]

Analogue modular ambient heaven! Node will play live at the Royal College of Music in London on Feb 27th 2015. Full modular rig! Tickets from the RCM box office. Spread the word! www.rcm.ac.uk/events/listings/details/?id=549161

[@eyesintheskies]

Vatican shadow nice and dark for such a softly spoken man

[@ottam]

Every interview I see with these guys from NIN shows them to be extremely nice guys who love what they do. Imagine a rapper being so congenial?

[@michaelhaydenbell]

You really just said that? There's no nice rappers, because they're all just this singular monolithic being in your totally normal mind apparently? What a freakin cool thing to say.

[@n0tett]

That cup is freaking me the fuck out

[@neilridley3320]

Am I the only one worrying that he's holding a mug of tea right next to a complicated modular synth?! Put it down, man! your making me nervous...;-)

[@josheh4]

Not only you. I maintain a strictly enforced drink free zone around my gear. But then I've had friends do things like spill their beer on my gear, so that drink free zone isn't just unadulterated paranoia.

[@BrandoLuis]

he's a professional mug holder, don't get in his way

[@avolite719]

Have you ever seen NIN live? ..... there are many liquids thrown and tossed around towards both band members and gear. This guy holding a mug of tea anywhere near it is hardly its worst situation.

[@synthmalicious7541]

AVOLITE probably it’s best situation knowing they smash keyboards on stage

[@nateratchet9091]

No, no you aren't

[@donaldjasoncrunk]

Wonderful video! have to address something, just because he's a pal - Justin's last name is Mcgrath, not McGraff ;)

[@infinaneek]

Wicked! Could've De-noised the audio though!

[@lairdriver]

I bought a broken modular synth and fixed it for $200. It's not that big, size of a large tablet. I love using it, at first it feels like you are an old switchboard operator. Thing is you have to go old school and make patch cards on mine because mine doesn't have a memory bank.

[@stanz7193]

I would love to get some of those loops .... especially for hurt the ones on the multi track tape .

[@robin5on]

This is pure modern art

[@NbrgamingBlogspot]

awesome video !

[@ПетрКутюмов-ц5д]

Man, what a nice he is!

[@fabiantombers4966]

amazing! thank you!

[@sampleexamplemusic]

i love the vatican shadow shirt!!!!

[@ezzong]

This is such a synth geek video there's even a white noise soundtrack happening lol

[@hippydippy]

Holy Shit! I think my head just exploded!!! How in the hell do you remember when to play what?!

[@takashikashiwase3461]

thx

[@arne6647]

What a sound bloke

[@anniesamuel4787]

I just noticed the Vatican Shadow t-shirt

[@gloverelaxis]

This is really interesting and educational! Sonic State udabes

[@geet77777]

Man. I think Id like to know where that dope jacket came from too.

[@officialloner88]

That was awesome! I was wondering what he was using the cassette player for.

[@Khalit666]

Very good stuff!

[@stuffandjunkanduhh5049]

this video has sold more 4 tracks than any ad tascam ever ran. haha.

[@JohnLRice]

Nice interview! :-)

[@Scyber_Official]

The whole time I was watching I was thinking "don't drop that mug."

[@Rannalt]

The op-1 though! Gaahhh! Love it.